1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an electrostatic-image-developing toner, a method of producing the same, an electrostatic image developer, an image forming method and an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
In an image forming apparatus of the so-called xerography type, which has a latent image holding member (an electrophotographic photoreceptor (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “a photoreceptor”), a charging device, an exposing device, a development device and a transfer device, an image is formed via an electrophotographic process using these devices.
Owing to the technical advances in the individual members and systems in recent years, these xerographic image forming apparatuses have been advancing from the view points of high-speed image forming, high-quality images and long life time. Along with this trend, there are even greater demands than before for the applicability to high speed processing, and for the high reliability, of each of the subsystems. In particular, the demands for high speed applicability and high reliability are even greater for photoreceptors to be used in writing images thereon, and cleaner for cleaning the photoreceptors. Further, they are subjected to larger stress from the sliding motion between them than other members and thus readily suffer from scratches and abrasion, which sometimes results in image defects.
With the expansion of the life time of systems, on the other hand, there are also strong demands for improvement in durability and stabilization of electrical characteristics of toner particles located between contact type charging members. However, such improvement in durability and stabilization of electrical characteristics of toner particles conflict with a decrease in toner viscosity and an increase in the elasticity thereof aiming at saving energy. Thus, it has been becoming difficult to establish both of these purposes.